Worst Excuses for Sick Days

See also Worst Excuses for Being Late There's no limit to creativity when it comes to coming up with reasons for calling in sick, according to a new survey from Careerbuilder. Employees give all manner of outrageous excuses – and many bosses admit to being skeptical enough to check them out in person. There is an underlying, serious message within the survey: Workers are feeling more burned out than ever thanks to the economy, and they feel that their allotted vacation leave simply isn't enough time to recharge batteries. But many of these workers may be surprised to learn that they don't need to come up with outrageous stories to get extra time off. "Six-in-ten employers we surveyed said they let their team members use sick days for mental-health days," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "So if you need to take some time away from the office, the best way not to cause yourself more stress is to be open and honest with your manager." More than 3,100 workers and 2,400 employers took part in the survey.